Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. LEWIS, OF COLUMBUS, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 257,347, dated May 2, 1882.

" Application filed March 20, 1832. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. LEwIs, of Golumbus, in the county of Cherokee, and in the State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that .the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in car-couplers; and it has for its objects to provide improved means whereby the car may be coupled or uncoupled without the use of the old coupling-pin, which required the train'men to pass between the cars to accomplish the work, greatly endangering their lives. These objects I attain by the devices and mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a car, showing my improved coupler; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view of the coupler and a portion of the car, and Fig. 3 a view of a portion of the draw-head with the upper part removed to show the interior.

The letter A indicates the end of an ordinary box-car, and B the draw-head, which is provided with an opening, as usual, at its end for the insertion of the coupling-link, which may be of the ordinary or any approved construction.

The letter 0 indicates an inclined guide formed in the tllZtW-llGtltl, which is rounded and shouldered at its rear, behind which shoulder the link is adapted to drop when fully inserted,the sides of the link setting in spaces D at each side of the guide when in place.

The letter E indicates a vertical mortise formed in the draw-head and the rear portion of the inclined guide, and F a vertical slide adapted to move vertically in ways or guides G on the front of the car. The lower end of the slide is bent horizontally forward, and the said slide is provided with a bent arm, H, in front, to the end of which is pivoted or hooked a coupling-pin, I. The lower end of the slide, as well as the coupling-pin, extends into the vertical slot or mortise in the draw-head, and

ting across the opening in the coupling-head,

as shown in Fig. 1. The slide, near its upper end, is provided with a hasp, K, in which is adapted to work loosely one end of a lever, L, fulcrumed at M to the front of the car, by

means of which the slide may be operated to couple or uncouple.

. It is evident that the lever and slide may be modified so that the slide can be operated from the platform, or from either side of the car, without changing the nature of myiuvention, so as to adapt the same'to platform and other cars.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Upon passing the link into the draw-head it throws back the coupling-pin and falls behind the shoulder of the inclined guide, the pin dropping afterward into its normal position, so as to prevent the link from being withdrawn. The sides of the link will then rest in the spaces at thesides of the guide in position to enter the draw-head of the opposite car, when it will operate the coupling devices to couple said car. To uncouple the cars the slide is elevated, lifting the link above the shoulder at the rear of the inclined guide and elevating the pin so that its lower end will clear the opening in the drawhead and permit thelink to be readily withdrawn.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 18-- In combination with the draw-heads having inclined guides 0, spaces D at each side of said guide, and vertical mortise E, the verti- March, 1882.

JOHN D. LEWIS. Witnesses:

H. AUBREY TOULMIN, w CHAS. D. DAVIS. 

